What is the Difference Between Ritalin and Adderall

The key difference between Ritalin and Adderall is that Ritalin contains methylphenidate, whereas Adderall contains a mixture of amphetamine salts.

Both Ritalin and Adderall are important as central nervous system stimulants. Both these drugs are associated with sleep problems and a decreased appetite. However, Ritalin is also very likely to cause stomach pains.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Ritalin  
3. What is Adderall
4. Ritalin vs Adderall in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Ritalin vs Adderall

What is Ritalin?

Ritalin is a synthetic drug that can stimulate the central nervous system. Mainly, it is important in improving the mental activity in attention deficit disorder. The active chemical component in this drug is methylphenidate. Therefore, the drug is sometimes called methylphenidate, as well.

The routes of administration of this drug Ritalin include oral administration and transdermal administration. The dependence liability and addiction liability of this drug are very high. The drug class of methylphenidate is “stimulant drugs.”

When considering the pharmacokinetics of Ritalin, its bioavailability is around 30%, and protein binding ability ranges between 10 to 33%. The metabolism of the drug occurs in the liver. The elimination half-life of Ritalin is about 2-3 hours, and the excretion occurs through urine.

There can be some side effects of Ritalin, including appetite loss, dry mouth, anxiety, nausea, and insomnia. However, there can be some adverse effects as well: akathisia, lethargy, dizziness, changes in blood pressure and heart rate, etc.

There are many important uses of Ritalin, such as treating ADHD and narcolepsy. Moreover, this drug is important in treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and can improve depression in stroke, cancer, and HIV-positive patients, etc.

What is Adderall?

Adderall is a stimulant drug containing a mixture of two amphetamines and is useful in treating attention deficit disorder and narcolepsy. The other common trade name for this drug is “Mydayis.” It is a combination drug. The routes of administration for Adderall include oral administration, insufflation, rectal administration, and sublingual administration.

Adderall is important in treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy. It is also used as an athletic performance enhancer, cognitive enhancer, appetite suppressant, etc. We can describe this drug as a central nervous system stimulant of the phenethylamine class.

Generally, Adderall is well-tolerated, and the dependence liability is moderate. It is effective in treating the symptoms of ADHD and narcolepsy. However, there are some side effects of using this drug, which include hypertension, vasovagal response, tachycardia, erectile dysfunction, frequent erections, abdominal pain in the gastrointestinal tract, excessive grinding of teeth, etc.

What is the Difference Between Ritalin and Adderall?

Ritalin is a synthetic drug that can stimulate the central nervous system. Adderall is a stimulant drug containing a mixture of two amphetamines, and this drug is useful in treating attention deficit disorder and narcolepsy. The key difference between Ritalin and Adderall is that Ritalin contains methylphenidate, whereas Adderall contains a mixture of amphetamine salts. Moreover, appetite loss, dry mouth, anxiety, nausea, insomnia, etc. are side effects of Ritalin, while hypertension, vasovagal response, tachycardia, erectile dysfunction, frequent erections, abdominal pain in the gastrointestinal tract, excessive grinding of teeth, etc. are side effects of Adderall.

The below infographic presents the differences between Ritalin and Adderall in tabular form for side by side comparison.

Summary – Ritalin vs Adderall

Both Ritalin and Adderall are important as central nervous system stimulants. Both these drugs are associated with sleep problems and decreased appetite. However, Ritalin is also very likely to cause stomach pains. The key difference between Ritalin and Adderall is that Ritalin contains methylphenidate, whereas Adderall contains a mixture of amphetamine salts.

Reference:

1. “Ritalin: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects & Warnings.” Drugs.com.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Methylphenidate-2D-skeletal” By !Original: UnknownVector: Jesin – No machine-readable source provided. Own work assumed (based on copyright claims) (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Racemic amphetamine 2” By Boghog – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia